With the 11th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco mere days away – and the full schedule finally available on the event website – it’s time for our helpful rundown of where you should be when for the optimal country/roots music experience. Obviously, when Robert Earl Keen, Steve Earle & the Dukes, and the Flatlanders are performing free shows on different stages in the exact same time slot, it’s pretty hard to go wrong wherever you might stumble. But here’s the itinerary that would make venturing into the big city (and braving the crowds) most worthwhile for us.* Click any day below for a closer view.
* Pssttt, hey HSB… how about issuing some media passes? It’d make life easier for the well-mannered, crowd-phobic bloggers among us.
Country Music Festivals in California
Come On Out to San Francisco
Rest in Peace, Warren Hellman
More Than 80 Reasons (and Counting) to Come to San Francisco September 30 through October 2
A freelance writer and humorist with an abiding love of country music, C.M. Wilcox's cutting, clear-eyed take on the genre has drawn the attention of Country Weekly, The Washington Post, and The Tennessean in the years since this site began. He lives near Sacramento and can be reached by email at CMW (at) countrycalifornia.com.
Can’t quarrel with most of those choices, although Patty Griffin v. KK and the Hag would be a real Sophie’s Choice for me.
http://youtu.be/RJMArCUSJUk
I’m looking forward to seeing Emmylou on Sunday afternoon. My first time. :)
I sort of hate anyone who’s able to attend this.
We’ll try not to take it personally . . .
I also hate you.
I hope everyone who’s going has a great time.
Oh no! You forgot a blue circle around Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses ;)
I am so jealous…. this looks like a really good festival…..and I’m from Austin. ( in my honest opinion this lineup kicks our festivals ass)
Reckless kelly and band of heathens not worth it?
Ryan Bingham, Reckless Kelly and Band of Heathens were absolutely worth it!!!